Linh is into photography

If you know me long enough, you will know I have terrible taste in visual objects. I can’t differentiate between lipstick colors, and I find my blurry phone photoshoots perfectly fine. So having a camera has always been my dream, to slow down the pace and have time to observe beauty. It’s my plan.

But having a camera isn’t easy nowadays. Film and Polaroid prices are rising, and digital ones are expensive in general. And don’t even get me started on overpriced digicams…

So the idea of owning a camera just stayed there for some years, until my graduation day got closer. I wanted an Instax camera to keep the memories. And my dear friend, baivong, gifted me a digital one, a Sony NEX-5N, a cute camera in my opinion. It isn’t Instax or film, because we all agree the cost is too much :)

So here is some of my new knowledge with the camera.

Setup

First, I prefer my images in RAW format. I want to control the post-processing step.

Post-processing apps

On my laptop, I use darktable. It’s free, open-source, and powerful, with tons of features.

On my phone, I use the OldRoll app. It’s quick and convenient. I can apply film color presets and modify them further. It’s surprisingly good since it can edit RAW files and has enough basic features. The biggest problem is it doesn’t have a denoise feature. But also, you can’t expect much from a camera app, not an editing app.

Numbers

There are 3 variables you need to focus on when using a camera: ISO, Shutter Speed, and Aperture. I usually set ISO first, then Aperture, and finally Shutter Speed.

I think it depends on the purpose of your photography, the priorities will be different. I mainly learn how to use and configure things with ChatGPT, so I don’t think I’m in any position to guide you.

Sharing

I share my photos on Threads. My original plan of using Instagram is cancelled. You can visit my Threads to learn more about me: @vtrnnhlinh.

So, it’s an interesting journey to say the least. I think I love it as a hobby now. In the future, I want to buy more lenses and a new body as my endgame. The ideology of Sony kinda suits me, so I think I’ll stick with this brand.